The history of Soto's Pack
by J.Caesar
Summary: The storyline is about what happened before Ice Age I. In this movie, Soto and his pack are introduced hating humans for killing his pack members. This story looks back on the events that took place shortly before his plan of taking the little baby, Roshan. [For this story it might come in handy to know the sabres starring in Ice Age I]
1. One

_**Hey readers, a new storyline. I sincerely hope that I'm not accidently stealing someone's idea with my story, but I didn't find so many stories about Soto's pack. Anyways, here's the first chapter introducing my new characters.**_

**Chapter 1: The pack members**

With the Ice Age far from being over, animals are forced to migrate out of the colder areas in search of food. Travels to places that hadn't yet been covered with snow were long though. Luckily there were oases on the route which still offered fresh grass and refuge to a great variety of animals that were hungry or had to rest before continuing their long walk to the south. Being in such huge numbers attracts predators, in this case, sabre-toothed cats. Unwary of the incoming danger, a Macrauchenia is walking too far from the rest of his kind. Several pairs of eyes in the nearby grass follow the herbivore bring itself in a vulnerable position.  
The eyes exchanged glances and then as fast as lightning, three sabres jumped up between the animal and his herd with loud growling. The panicked animal ran away, distancing itself even more. Just as sudden, two other sabres appeared, forcing the animal to the right. As they gave chase on the left side, the other three joined them on the right side. Though the Macrauchenia managed to stay ahead of them so far, the tigers knew it wouldn't be for long. A few seconds later, the last three pack members, that had been waiting, blocked the last escape path.  
Now surrounded by eight killers, the animal was surely to fall, though that didn't mean it wouldn't put up a fight. Its attempts to trample one of the sabres failed time after time, however. They were simply too agile and were merely exhausting their prey. Its last effort nearly made him stumble, hereby exposing its neck.

"Diego! Now!"

One of the cats leaped forward and landed his fangs into the weakest spot of the herbivore, the throat. More followed by piling on their prey, subduing it. When the Macrauchenia stopped moving, the hunt was over. The hierarchy of the pack was simple. The two lead males of the pack ate first, then came the rest. When everybody was done eating, it was getting dark and the highest ranking male, Soto, spoke out.

"Good job everyone, now let's go back to the caves. Tomorrow we will hunt in the morning before the animals start migrating again."

The sabres moved north, though two members had other plans and wandered off in the wrong direction. Soto spotted this and turned to his second in command.

"Diego..."

The addressed sabre stopped and looked at his superior.

"...make sure everyone gets back now, I don't want someone to blow the operation because they're tired."

Diego nodded and turned around to shadow the straying couple. A female sabre tried to join him, however Soto blocked her way.

"Not you Lucy..."

Lucy's posture was like Diego's, but her head was a bit rounder and her fur was slightly lighter. She was younger too, though this didn't mean she wasn't equally deadly as a hunter.

"But I can help..."

"Move!"

Lucy bowed her head, knowing she couldn't argue with the clan leader and preceded him in the direction of their resting place.

"I'm sure Diego can do fine on his own, Lucy. Shall I walk you home instead?" another male solicited.

"Nice try Oscar, but no thanks."

She pushed Oscar aside, leaving him with an annoyed look on his face. Unfortunately, standing on the road caused Soto to bump into him and he repaid him that favour with a deadly glare. Oscar made an apologetic gesture and quickly went on.

.

As Diego caught up with the runaways, he could not help but to overhear their conversation first.

"Don't you worry about will happen after tomorrow, Kurt?" the sabress asked.

"I don't know Allison, what's there about tomorrow?" her companion replied.

She was older than Diego. Her fur was the same colour, but she had a dark stain on her right front shoulder. Her paws were a little shorter than Diego's, causing her to be closer to the ground. Kurt too was older and his fur was brownish instead of orange. He was heavier build and had actually more similarity with Lenny than with Diego. His left sabre tooth was shorter than the right one, but was dulled the same way indicating that it was probably damaged a long time ago.

"When the animals leave our area" Allison continued.

"Well, then new ones arrive."

"Yea, but what if they don't?"

"Then we'll have to find food elsewhere, I guess."

"But that means we need to head into other territory than our own. That means other predators to compete with."

"You worry too much about future things Allison."

"You think?"

"Yea, and besides, other predators have also shown up in our territory and we've driven them off simple enough. Maybe we can steal new hunting grounds."

"But what if there are no other hunting grounds?"

"When the times comes, Soto knows what to do. You got to live more in the present, Allison."

"Perhaps you're right Kurt. Maybe I should."

"Yea maybe you should" Diego interrupted.

"Diego! How did you..." Allison said surprised.

"I was send to follow you from the moment you went in another direction than Soto had in mind."

"That does sound like Soto, always suspicious, always mistrustful..." Kurt said.

"If I hear what you think of him, I don't blame him for doing so" Diego remarked.

"Don't say that it isn't true, you know it is."

"All I'm saying is that you should be glad he didn't appeal to his mating rights when he took control of our pack."

Kurt fell silent. He realized Soto, as top male, had indeed the capability to take all females of the clan, including Allison. The only reason he didn't is because he cared too much for the power he'd claimed, that he didn't want to share it with anyone.

"I'm more than glad he didn't" Allison grinned and cuddled Kurt's shoulder.

Diego smiled, but stopped immediately when he realized he was more or less insulting his superior, which he wouldn't dare.

"Could you give us a little time alone, Diego" Allison asked with a sweet voice.

"My orders were to get you back."

"Pleeeeeease. Soto hardly gives us any time together. We'll be back soon, I promise."

Diego isn't close to being a juvenile, yet compared to the rest he is one of the pack, he is quite young and did a really good job climbing up in the ranks so quickly. He did not do so by neglecting orders, though he could make an exception for his friends could he not? Just as he figured he'd best order them to head back immediately, his good nature beat him to it.

"I'll wait over there, but no more than 10 minutes okay?"

"Thanks Diego" the couple said.

.

When the three got back to the caves, Soto was waiting for them. He was not at all pleased.

"Why are you so late?" Soto demanded.

As none of the three answered fast enough in his opinion, he started shouting.

"Diego, didn't I tell you to bring them back right away? And you Allison? What were you planning, simply abandoning the rest of the pack?"

"Soto, if I may..."

"No Kurt you may not! Let me tell you something. You sure are older than any of us, but you've clearly shown us that wisdom does not come with age!"

He walked back to the entrance of the caves, where the others had first been peeping around the corner, they now duck back into the caves. Soto stood in the entrance and turned back to the three latecomers putting up a faked friendly voice.

"So, again... Why are you so late?"

"Soto, we..." but Allison couldn't finish.

"It was my bad, I took the wrong way back and we got lost."

Soto looked surprised and Diego bowed his head in shame.

"Diego, I hadn't expected this from you. Standard punishment for failure means your position would go to another, but you have not failed me before. I hope from now on it will remain that way."

Diego didn't know what to say, did Soto really forgave him just as that?

"And you will be on the morning patrol for the next few days."

'Apparently not' he thought.

"As for you two. Don't let me see you sneaking off anymore, or you don't have to come back at all."

When they all went inside, Diego felt a poke.

"Why did you do that?" Kurt whispered.

"Do what?" he whispered back.

"Take the blame."

"It was my fault, it was I who choose to give you your time."

"Thank you Diego, you have your heart in the right place" Allison said.

"You'd make a fine leader someday" Kurt added.

Diego smiled and they went to their separate sleeping places. Though he was glad to hear his actions were appreciated, he was angry for burdening himself with a morning shift. He really hated getting up so early.

_**So far the first chapter. This was merely a chapter for introducing my new characters. Hopefully the names I came up with aren't so bad, it's really the one thing I find the hardest. Next chapter will be updated when I have some time again.**_


	2. Two

_**Now that my exams are done, I have some time to write another chapter.**_

**Chapter 2: Strange creatures**

Getting up early was something Diego didn't do much. He always thought it to be irritating to find prey in a misty morning sun and being tired after sleeping so little, though he was fitter than he assumed he would've been.

"Come on Diego, we haven't got all day!" Oscar snapped.

Being on the morning shift was something he disliked, but being on a morning shift with Oscar and Zeke was closer to pure hatred then mere annoyance.

"Com' on, com' on, com' on!" Zeke whispered hasty.

"Calm down Zeke. If you get a heart attack, I have more work to do."

Zeke glared at him and the three left the cave, leaving the other packmembers in dormant state.

.

After they had each investigated their part of the ground they got back together.

"I found the Macrauchenia herd sleeping near the forest's edge as usual" Oscar stated.

"The Euceratheria were grazing normally, but I spotted a male emboletherium cuddling with another male instead of fighting with it. That was kind of creepy..." Diego explained.

"Anything special in your part, Zeke?"

"The gazelles were grazing at the bottom side of the waterfall rather than on the top side " Zeke said.

"Why?" Diego demanded.

"I don't know, who cares."

"Who cares? Zeke, why didn't you check what's wrong with their usual spot?"

"What's your problem with it anyway?" Oscar intervened.

"Soto will surely want to know."

"Glad you know what our leader is thinking" Oscar said cynical.

"Yea, not! Hehehe" Zeke laughed.

"Let's go back."

"You can go back, I'm going to find out what's wrong at the forests edge" Diego headed back to the waterfall.

.

As he got back to the caves, everyone was awake and Soto tapped his front paw on the ground. He was definitely in an unpleasant mood.

"Lost on your way back again?" he asked.

"No Soto, there was something that I found important to check" Diego answered confident.

"And what was that?"

"The gazelles were not grazing at the upper part of the waterfall, but at the lower part instead."

"Oscar already told me that some emboletheria were the cause of that."

Diego looked at Oscar, who drew an evil grin. It was clear that he lied to make Diego look bad. Oscar was jealous of him for all kinds of reasons: Diego was younger and thus faster, Soto had given Oscars rank to him and worst of all Lucy liked him more. Oscar took every opportunity he had to place Diego in bad daylight.

"That might be, though I think it is something else."

"And what might that be?"

"I think they were called... humans?" Diego said pretending not to know how to pronounce it.

"What?"

Soto walked back and forth, and back again, thinking.

"What are humans?" Lucy whispered to Lenny, but he shrugged in reply.

"A problem" Soto answered her question, "Are you sure it were humans?"

"I haven't seen them in real life before, but they match the description I've been told."

"Show me."

The entire pack followed Soto and Diego to the location Diego spoke of.

.

Arriving at the top of the cliff that looked over a great part of the forest, the cats had a good top view of the human camp. There were a couple of wooden constructions build in a circle formation, all with their entries to the middle. The first humans had already crawled out of their wooden caves and started feeding their pet wolves.

"What are those things?" Lenny asked.

"That are humans. You were right to investigate this Diego, good job."

Diego drew an arrogant smile towards Oscar who gritted his teeth, knowing he would probably get punished for his lack of insight.

"Yea well done Diego" Lucy said, who took a step closer to him.

"Ehm, thanks" he replied, taking a step back.

"_Yea well done Diego_..." Zeke imitated her with a squeaky voice, "...thanks for what exactly? They don't look dangerous at all."

"Appearances can be deceiving, Zeke" Kurt said.

"Oh yea? How? They're just a bunch ugly, bold apes, hehehe!" Zeke laughed.

"I have to agree with Zeke, chief, they don't look very disturbing" Lenny commented.

"Perhaps they don't, but Kurt is right to say that they sure aren't what they look like..."

Since Soto didn't bother explaining any further, Kurt told the rest about his own experience with humans.

"With these creatures there is more than meets the eye. They carry small but deadly weapons. For instance, they use clubs made of stone which can break your limbs, they throw sharpened sticks that can puncture your body like a mammoth's tusk and they can communicate in a strange language no animal can understand."

Lenny, Zeke and Lucy all looked horrified upon hearing what could happen to them if they were to encounter an armed primate. Diego, had heard the tales about the bold monkeys from Soto and for that reason was able to identify these creatures, but he'd never actually seen or battled them in real life. The idea of bone breaking maces and penetrating projectiles made him shiver. Soto, Allison and Oscar were older and had, like Kurt, faced humans in the past so already knew what humans were capable of.

"Stop scaring everyone Kurt" Soto said, "yes humans are indeed a fearsome enemy, but they too have their weaknesses. The greatest problem is their wolves."

"They rally with wolves? But I thought wolves only with their own kind, like us?" Diego asked confused.

He didn't recall Soto speaking of humans and wolves living together before. This part was new as new to him as to the other three.

"Apparently they work together, making them even more annoying. Sneaking up on a human is easy. Sneaking up on a wolf is a very different matter." Soto answered.

"So what are we going to do?" Kurt asked.

"Nothing, for now. Let's hope they will continue to move on like all other animals."

"And what if they don't?"Allison demanded as Soto was about to walk away.

"Hopefully it won't get that far, for their sake."

As Soto lead the pack towards to plains, Diego kept staring at the humans for a while longer. When he turned around to catch up the rest, he almost bumped into Lucy. They were facing each other silently when she suddenly smiled to him playfully.

"Admiring the view?" she asked.

"Something like that" he replied and walked passed her in order to avoid getting trapped into her amorous eyes.

"Do you believe the stories?"

Diego stopped and looked over his shoulder to her. She was staring down the cliff.

"I mean, if they are so vicious as Kurt describes them, why don't they take over every territory there is? If it is so easy for them to drive us of the top of the food chain, what's stopping them?"

"What makes you so sure that that's not the reason they've set up camp here?" he replied dryly.

Lucy gulped and when she turned around Diego saw she'd gotten paler. Perhaps he should comfort her somehow. She was mostly kind to him as well.

"Don't worry Lucy, I'm sure that they're merely in transit like all others" Diego stood beside her.

"And what if they are not? If what Kurt says is true, they'll kill us all!"

"Well, I'm sure Kurt's exaggerating a bit..."

"Will you protect me, Diego?"

"What?"

"If we do battle them, will you protect me?"

Lucy did a step closer and looked him straight into the eye, placing Diego in an uncomfortable position.

"Eh yea, sure."

"Thank you Diego."

She rubbed her head against his shoulder when she walked passed him. Diego glanced down one last time, counting the number of humans in the camp and then walked away as well.

_**End of chapter two. I'll be on a holiday the next few days, so it'll take a while for me to post the next chapter. Sorry for the big time span between posting new chapters, but thinking of and sticking to characteristic behaviour of my newly made characters makes it hard to write. **_


	3. Three

_**I'm back! Yes, I've been gone for a very long time. To be honest, I had little inspiration about what to write xD. **_

**Chapter 3: A day of hunting**

All pack members had now gathered and were taking positions for an ambush. As the whole pack consisted of eight big cats, it was obliged to catch either one big prey or a few smaller ones to feed everyone. The first attempts was always to get down a big one, since that is tougher and in the morning everyone still had a full rest. If those failed, the weak, old and under aged animals became targets.

"Take positions" Soto whispered.

The tiger-clan scattered in pairs across the field. The last time his method had proven quite effective so Soto decided to give it another try. Perhaps he'd finally found a tactic that could not fail? All sabres were now in position and it was Zeke who was to make the first move. Soto waited for the Macrauchenia to bow down to graze, but before he could gesture him, he saw something flying towards the prey with a spinning sound. The spear barely missed the animal and ended up with the tip in the sand.

"What for the ..." he said surprised and turned his sight to the origin of the annoyed.

The prey took a run for it as it too spotted a pack of humans charging into itself and the other grazing herbivores. The other sabres looked at Soto wondering what they had to do now that the humans were chasing their prey. He nodded to the place from which they had started setting up their trap.

"What was that?"

"I don't know, but it seems we got beaten by humans."

"Those hairless monkeys ruined our plan."

"Quiet please" Soto attempted to calm down the flux of comments on the recent event.

"I hate humans already!"

"Yea, they are ugly."

"I bet they aren't gonna catch that prey."

"With those paws it's a miracle they can walk!"

"QUIET!"

The group's noisy chitchat came to an end. Soto counted heads, which he normally didn't do, but this time it was different.

"Six, seven... seven? Who's missing?" he shouted.

They all looked at one another.

"Zeke?"

"Zeke's not here!"

"Oh no, Zeke, of all sabres..." Soto slapped his paw onto his nose. "Diego, Oscar, you'll help me find Zeke. Kurt, lead the rest back to the caves."

"Can I..."

"No Lucy you cannot! Go back, that's an order, for all of you!"

Lucy backed down and followed the retreating members.

"I hope we find Zeke before the humans do..." Soto pondered.

"You think they'll kill him?" Diego asked, causing Oscar to draw a horrified face.

"No, it's the other way around that worries me more" he replied.

Oscar and Diego didn't understand it, but tailed their leader back into the grass.

.

The humans had caught a Euceratherium and killed it. They were tying the animals paws to a thick piece of wood. What they did not know, is that they were being watched by a pair of bloodthirsty eyes.

"I will enjoy ripping you open. Every single one of you, hehehe" Zeke silently laughed to himself.

"Zeke!"

He turned around as somebody whispered his name sharply. It was Diego standing a few passes behind him.

"What?"

"You gotta come with me, now! Before they see you!"

"That's the whole idea."

"They'll kill you, you fool."

"Not if I kill them first, hehehe."

"Don't be so stubborn Zeke, Soto is waiting!" he whispered harder.

"Soto will only be pleased with the human meat I...".

He could not finish his sentence, a loud rustle in the bush in which Zeke was hiding and a human head popping up, scared both cats.

"Zeke, let's go, come on!"

"What, run from him?"

The human tried to stab him with his spear, but Zeke dashed aside and swung it's claw. Though he was too far away to be hit, the man still did a step back. He kept pointing the spear firmly at the two man-sized cats that stood in front of him. He poked the air in front of him, most likely trying to scare off the sabres.

"Leave him Zeke."

"You can't tell me what to do! You're not Soto!"

"I don't want you to do anything stupid" Diego said, with his eyes still fixed on the ape with the skin piercing stick.

The human might not understand what they were saying, but he recognized confusion and knew it to be a good opportunity. He charged at Zeke with his spear pointed forward, causing him to jump aside again, but this time the human swung it's weapon in a semicircle movement at the unwary predator, who got cut in the shoulder.

'So this is what Soto spoke of when he told me about their intellect. That primate knew Zeke would dodge as he did the first time and planned a counterattack for it! If they are that smart, you can't do anything twice!' Diego thought anxious.

"Praise yourself lucky, ape, for now" Zeke spat.

But the human did not speak the language of animals and wasn't moved by his mocking. He ran for his now injured foe, repeating the trick. Unfortunately Zeke didn't posses the same assessment skills as Diego and fell for it once more, getting sliced a few inches from the first wound.

"Zeke! Get away now! He knows what you're gonna do before you do!" Diego called to him.

"No! I want to kill him! KILL HIM!"

This time Zeke leaped and the man was forced to jump aside, hereby breaking his spear. He tried to crawl back into the bush.

"Oh you're not going anywhere, hahaha!" and Zeke sprang up.

The man turned around and tried to protect himself with his arms. It didn't bother as the full weight of Zeke's body fell at him with smothering blow.

"Nobody out battles me, yehehe" he yelled.

"Zeke, what have you done?!" Diego shouted back to him.

Zeke stopped laughing and looked at his motionless victim that was still below him. The poor man had landed with his head on a rock, when he was smacked down. A pool of blood rapidly expanded around the corpse.

"So? I killed him, what's the big deal?"

"Zeke we have to go!"

_*Clack* _

A spear punctured the bark of a nearby tree.

"NOW!"

The sabres ran as if death itself was chasing them and almost collided with Soto and Oscar on their way back.

"Ah Diego, you've found him."

"No time for talk Soto, the humans are behind us."

"What? Why?"

"We killed a human!" Zeke laughed.

"YOU HAVE WHAT?!"

"Hey! I told you to ran, but instead..." Diego got interrupted by Oscar.

"I think we should continue this elsewhere."

The screeching was getting closer.

"Quick to the western forest. We can lose them there!"

The western forest was dense and it was easy to lose track of someone if you didn't know where they were heading. After a nerve-racking ten minutes running around in the maze of trees, the sound of screaming primates had faded away.

"Looks like we lost them" Oscar stated.

"Finally, good work... And you two" Soto glanced threatening, " you'd better have a good explanation when we're back. "

Zeke made a face behind Soto's back, but Diego was only mad at himself.

'Why didn't I stop that idiot...'

_**End for now, I hope that I can continue writing. It seems as if I found some new ideas. **_


	4. Four

_**After being away for quite some.. ah who am I kidding. Back from the dead is more like it. Nontheless, I've decided to pick up writing again! Here's my sequel to this story I started earlier.**_

**Chapter 4: A race against the clock**

Back at the caves, Diego once again had to stand trial in front of the others. This time, though, he was not alone. Zeke, who was the actual culprit, stood next to him.

"What were you thinking! I ordered you all to leave the humans alone. "

"Listen Soto…"

"No you listen Diego. You don't know what you've caused."

"All I did was kill an ape" Zeke replied ignorant.

"All you did was…" Soto bowed his head and sighed. Like a small child, Zeke really didn't know what he had done wrong.

"What's so bad about killing a human Soto?" Lenny asked.

"Humans are vengeful creatures Lenny. Killing one of them will not go without losing at least one of your own, sooner rather than later if it's up to them. They will not stop until they have repaid our action." Soto explained.

"But that means…" Lucy's horrific thought made her fall silent.

"Indeed…" He walked to a cliff and looked down. "They will be hunting us now."

He peered in the direction where the human camp is supposed, but mountain tops blocked his sight. Now that the humans were indeed coming after them, he need to think of what to do. Flee and hope that they will give up their search, which meant they would have to leave their home. Or fight back and risk the life of his clan members. Both were unattractive choices, yet he knew that he had to make one, fast.

"What will we do now? Run away?" Lenny said with clear fear in her voice.

"Run? Don't be stupid, we fight them, right?" Zeke said.

"Brilliant, mostly because it was you and your fighting that brought us into this!" Allison snapped.

"Yea, this is Zeke's fault."

"We're gonna die, aren't we?"

Desperation, hate and sad voices echoed through the group.

"Soto?" Diego walked up to him, "what are we going to do?"

"We are going to hunt."

All fell quiet. Tangled faces looked upon each other when the hunting trip was proposed.

"Hunting? Now?"

"Yes, especially now. They will be gathering forces for their attack and in the meanwhile we can catch our dinner."

"Can't we better think of a plan to counter their attack?" Oscar suggested.

"You think we can win a fight without having fed for a day?"

Oscar's moment of doubt and the silent realization of the clan that they were indeed hungry was proof enough for Soto of their assent with his plan.

.

On the plains, the sabres took positions. Diego and Soto were lying next to each other in the grass. As natural as it came to them, they calculated every movement of prey, ally and environment and acted such that the distance between them and the target was narrowed with each step. Repeating their former mentioned tactics, they took down a Euceratheria and ate as fast as they could.

"Ehm...Soto" Diego whispered.

"Not now, can't you see I'm eating."

"Soto!"

"What?"

"Look out!"

Diego pushed him aside after which a spear punctured the corpse of which he had just been eating, followed by a short squeak of Lenny who stood beside his leader.

"We're under attack!" Kurt yelled and the noisy chatter of humans closing in could clearly be heard.

"Damn, I didn't expect it to start so soon... Diego lead the clan away from here, I make sure no-one stays behind." briefly glancing at Zeke.

"Quickly, let's go!"

The tigers abandoned their meal which was to heavy to take with them in time.

"But I haven't finished yet" Zeke whined.

"NOW!" Soto shouted and another spear barely missed the sabres.

They'd only just took off as the humans arrived at the carcass. One of them called, clearly notifying the others he'd found tracks and the men started moving again.

.

After a running for quite a while, the sabres needed a break. Whilst the others rested, Kurt, Diego and Soto weighed the situation.

"Our capability of short bursts of speed would only give us a small edge before some of us run out of energy, and losing them on stamina isn't gonna work." Soto stated.

"And with the humans close behind us, we can't go home without leading them straight to the caves." Kurt said.

"Perhaps just like last time?" Diego asked, but Soto shook his head.

"The reason we lost them in the western forest is because it's hard to tell whether we'd passed a certain part of the forest or not. With a whole pack of sabres together it's easy to say which path we took."

"So what do we do then?"

"If the current state remains unchanged, we will have to fight them sooner or later."

"You think we can win that?"

"Perhaps if with an environmental advantage we could win, although..." Kurt went silent.

"...we'd probably still lose the bigger half of our clan" Soto added.

Discussing for a while, having light bulb moments that resulted in a sigh after realizing that the option had more disadvantages than actual profits, it was time to move on.

"And what if we split up?" Diego proposed.

Kurt and Soto looked at him questioningly.

"How will splitting up help us getting the humans off our tail?"

"It would if it means the bigger group can get away unnoticed."

"I don't know where..." Kurt could not finish as Soto seemed to understand what Diego's plan was.

"Yes! That might do the trick."

"We have to find a place where parting isn't likely to be spotted though."

"I think I know a suitable place."

Kurt still hadn't got a clue about what was going on between his leader and his friend, but wouldn't dare to interrupt the conversation which was likely to give a solution to the present impasse. Instead he nodded as if he understood the entire discussion. This however draw attention to him even more as he was the only one making gestures.

"Tag along Kurt, I will explain it to you amongst the others."

The rest of the sabreclan had risen up as they saw that the tacticians seemed to have ended their negotiations, and were ready to move on. Soto halted them and started explaining the plan.

"My plan is to split up in three groups of cats. One of two, that will include me and someone else, that will make a fake trail which will lead the humans into the wrong direction. This gives the other two groups the opportunity to get away safely. We will all meet in the end at a given location."

Lucy raised her paw and Soto permitted her to speak.

" Why do we go in 3 groups? If one groups creates a diversion, is it not possible for the rest to stay together?"

"If the rest stays together in a pack of six, they will be unable to cover up their tracks. And if a ternary gets caught, one of the females will still survive." Soto replied.

"So you will split the females among the two groups?" Kurt asked.

"Yes, this will enhance our chance of survival in case the escapees are spotted, but I sincerely hope it won't get that far."

"How are we going to find each other again?"

It was Oscar who doubted the fact that it would be easy for the sabres to find their clan members if they got their selves in unfamiliar territory. Soto had already given thought to that matter.

"True, it might be a problem, but if I remember it correctly there is a large mountain with a small lake. I will brief the leaders of each group as soon as I've divided everyone."

Lucy was waving her paw through the air again with a playful smile.

"Yes?"

"Can I be in the group with Diego?"

"Sure, unless Diego has other ideas?"

Soto placed him in a very uncomfortable position. He rather had her placed with the others as he felt uneasy with her flirtations, but he didn't like to disappoint her either, because she was mostly very kind to him.

"I ehm... It's okay, I guess" he responded reluctantly.

He tried to sound distant as Soto always did when he spoke to all, though he realized that was harder than it looked. Lucy's smile grew slightly bigger and Diego had to pay his insecure answer with some sniggering from the group and a hateful look from Oscar.

"Alright kids" Soto ended, "if that's everything. We will first head for the crossing between the edge of the forest and the bottom of the mountain. Let's move!"

**End of chapter 4.**


	5. Five

**Chapter 5: Divided**

It was early afternoon when they reached the crossing, where the sabres split into two groups. Kurt would be leading one party, consisting of him, Lenny and Allison and was to take the route through the forest. The second group, Diego, Zeke and Lucy, would travel a short distance into the mountains with Soto and Oscar and would part from them later on. The couple would put up a fake trail, which the humans were to track. In the end, they would all meet at the green hill in the land of the south. The groups huddled together shortly before their departure.

"Good luck everyone. May we all reach the green hill safely." Soto said.

As the tigers where saying goodbye, Diego was addressed by Kurt.

"Remember, you'll be responsible for two others now. Be firm, be decisive. If you doubt, they will so too." Kurt said.

"Yea, I know."

"I know you'll be a fine leader. You're born to be one."

"Thanks, I just hope this plan will work."

"Hard to say, but if we stick to the plan, I think it might."

Kurt placed his paw on Diego's shoulder.

"Safe journey, my friend."

"You too, Kurt."

"Okay. Everybody in their group? Then let's go!" Soto yelled, and the sabres went their separate ways.

.

A little further from the crossing, Diego's group separated from Soto and Oscar. They took a different route through the mountains, which ended up in a small ravine leading into the southern lands. The diversion party would be taking the mountain's pass which is longer, but broader and will thus be more likely for a pack of tigers. The same applied for the dense forest, which would also be inadvisable for great numbers of travellers. Soto assumed the humans to be reasonable and thus follow the fake trail along the pass, granting the rest of his clan a safe journey. But only moments after leaving Soto, Diego's first obstacle of leadership arose.

"Are we there yet?" Zeke whined for the third time.

"No, we aren't." Diego responded a little frustrated.

"Why are we fleeing anyway? It's not like they're so tough. I took one down all alone."

"We flee, because Soto tells us too."

"I still think it's fiddle-faddle."

"Yes, you made that quite clear."

Zeke kept on nagging about his hunger, the cold, the humans and running away from a fight. Though it annoyed Diego, it didn't bother Lucy very much as she was occupied. She seized every possibility to get Diego's attention, which he mostly repaid with a faint smile. Of all cats in the clan, he got the most difficult ones.

"Diego?"

"Hmm?"

The way she said his name, he expected another flirtation. He was surprised to see that she had a real question.

"Do you know if there is any water around here?"

She stared at him with her bright blue eyes. He never realized how beautiful they actually were. He shook his head to regain focus.

"Yea, Soto mentioned a pond before the canyon."

"Then what are we waiting for? Let's go, let's go, let's go-ho!" Zeke cheered.

"No, that won't be necessary. Soto told me only to go there in case of absolute need."

"Oh, then don't mind it." Lucy smiled.

"What? But I'm thirsty too!" Zeke responded, suddenly with a neglected tone.

Diego thought for a moment, while his companions looked at him questioningly.

'_Be firm, be decisive._ Right.'

"Okay, we step by the lake, but only for a brief moment."

He pointed them to the location of the water source. He believed to see signs gratitude in their expressions, but now that they were heading for the lake, he also found out to feel a bit dry himself.

.

The woods were peaceful that afternoon. Except for a few birds, all was quiet, but that was about to change. Rustling followed by voices arose from the undergrowth.

"Ssh."

"What?"

"Do you hear anything?"

"No..."

"Good, me neither."

The whispered questions broke the silence of the thicket, followed by a pair of eyes glistening beneath the shade of a shrubbery, scanning the area.

"All clear, let's go."

Three sabres, one female and two males, appeared from the green into a small open field. They were clearly in a hurry.

"Hmpf, I hate all these leaves, they ruin my fur." Allison complained, plucking some of her back.

"Nonsense you still look fine..." Kurt replied, "Can you keep up Lenny?"

His feline follower was breathing heavily and seemed to have used all his energy as he slowly caught up with the couple and sat down.

"A short break... please..."

"Sure, but not too long."

"Which way Kurt?" Allison looked around and recognized nothing but trees.

"It's a bit further that way, then the woods should be less dense and we can travel faster. That would be nice, since we don't know if Soto's diversion has worked and they might still be chasing us."

The idea of humans behind them, recharged Lenny completely and he sprang up.

"Then what are we waiting for, let's go."

He walked away and Kurt and Allison sniggered a little, but then he stopped abruptly and pricked his ears.

"What is it?" Allison asked, alerted by his reaction.

"I'm not sure..."

He peered into the distance where they had just been walking. Nothing.

"Hmm, I must have been mista..."

_*Pock* _

Suddenly a spear pierced a nearby bark.

"Move! NOW!" Kurt yelled.

They started sprinting, dashing left and right between the bushes. Kurt heard the sound of screaming apes and barking dogs multiply behind him.

'There must be at least four of them' he thought.

The further they ran, the broader the path between the trees became, which gave them the possibility to accelerate.

"Where do we go?" Allison cried.

"That way, just keep going!"

Kurt had no time to look where they had to go, but he knew they were travelling south which was good. He only hoped that Lenny could hold on long enough for them to lose their tail.

.

The water was a real refreshment after all this time of running. Lucy was drinking peacefully, however Zeke was slobbering loudly.

"Could you keep it down a bit, will you, Zeke? We don't want the Soto to hear your noise."

"Jeez, take it easy." He continued drinking more silently.

Diego pricked up his ears. It was too quiet, not even birdsong. Something was wrong.

"We best get moving again."

"Now?" Zeke sputtered.

"Yes, now."

Zeke walked away, stamping the floor, agitated like a kid and they went into the chasm. Diego kept looking back, something was out there, something was following them. At the end of the gulch, they past a corner. He peeped one last time, but still saw nothing.

"Diego!" Lucy appeared beside him.

"Whoa! Lucy, don't do that, you scared me."

She smiled at him with childish innocence as they turned to the road again.

"I wanted to know where we have to go."

"Ehm, right."

"Okay... Why were you looking back like that?" Lucy asked.

"I got a feeling that we are being followed."

"It's because of this landscape. You gotta relax more." She rubbed her head against his shoulder.

"Perhaps..." and he leaned back, trying to avoid her intimacy, when he heard a faint noise.

"Wait, do you hear that?"

"Hear what?"

Lucy looked up. Diego walked up to the edge of the ravine they just passed. Zeke and Lucy followed him to listen more closely as well.

"Yea, now I hear it too. What is it?" She whispered.

"I don't know, yet." He replied softly.

"I don't hear anything" Zeke spoke loudly.

"Sssssht" the others responded.

The noise got clearer and nearer.

"It sounds like footsteps. Like humans..."

"Humans?!" Zeke sprang up, "Let's kill 'm!"

"Sssssht"

"Look!" Lucy said.

Two humans came around the corner at the beginning of the gulch.

"Two? We can take 'm easily. Hehe...eh"

Zeke stopped laughing, when another came in sight, and another, and another. Five humans armed with spears and axes, accompanied by two dogs.

"Eh, Zeke. I think it's best we run instead."

"Ehm, Diego..."

"What?"

"He's already gone."

Lucy pointed at the figure of a cat in the distance.

"Darn. Quickly now, before we lose track of him." And they gave chase.

**End of chapter 5.**


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